“Feel It On the First!”
This post is for the ladies! Fellows can look out for the lovely ladies in their lives by reading this as well. So here we go! LADIES, do you check your breasts for abnormalities monthly in between your cycles? Did you know that 56% of tumors/cysts can be found through self breast exams? Mammograms can detect 43% of tumors but most women do not screened for those types of scans until the age 40! Even if you are consistent with your yearly Mammograms, there are still 364 days of the year in which changes in your breast tissue may occur.
I am all about prevention and being proactive to staying healthy! “FEEL IT ON THE FIRST” can be another cost efficient and easy addition to your monthly health regimen to detect anything suspicious in your breasts. Women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a health care provider right away. So if finding a lump is so important and finding it through touch is so effective, then it only makes sense that the better you are at it, the higher the chances are that you will find your lump sooner than later and smaller than bigger.
Why are Self Breast Exams important? Self Breast Exams can be an important way to find a potentially unhealthy lump early, when it is more likely to be treated successfully.
Early detection can mean less aggressive treatments/therapies
Gives you and your doctor more options/time
Mastectomy may not be required
Radiation may not be required
Chemotherapy may not be required
All of the side effects of more aggressive therapies may not be necessary
Hormone therapy sometimes recommended by your doctor may not be required
What do you do if you find a lump? First off, don’t panic! Breathe. Stay calm if you think you feel a lump in your breast. Most women have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time, and most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancer). There are a number of possible causes of non-cancerous breast lumps, including normal hormonal changes, a benign breast condition, or an injury.
It is important to report any changes to your health care provider right away so don’t delay. This is not something that you want to keep putting off. It will need your attention eventually and being proactive about detecting suspicious lumps in your breasts now can potentially save them!
Statistics can be alarming but think about it more so as making you aware and a move to action! About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Younger women are getting diagnosed with breast cancers (my friend was only 33!). About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no history of breast cancer in their family. In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower.
Here are some other great resources that you should arm yourself with and talk about with the ladies in your life.I’m trying to teach my daughters how to care for their breasts by not wearing tight undergarments, eating healthy, movement/exercise, drinking clean water, getting enough sleep, avoiding sugar, and when they’re of age~ I’ll tell them that alcohol consumption does increase their chances of developing cancer.
Ok wow! That was a lot of information but now you know how to be proactive. I “FEEL IT ON THE FIRST” of every month because of my cycle not being in the way. You only feel of your breasts for abnormalities the week after your cycle due to all of the hormones and tenderness involved. You will get a skewed reading if you feel of your breasts the week before your period and when you’re on period. Thanks for reading and remember, this is something that can be prevented if we took the time to learn our bodies and give it the attention and goodness that it deserves.
